Homemade is best

Q:

Q: I’VE been looking for ways to save money around the house and one of my bugbears is how expensive cleaning products are. Is there a cheaper and gentler alternative that will still get the job done?

Our expert is Simple Savings

A: Almost everything you need to clean around the house and car comes in natural and inexpensive products that you may already have in your home. Try some of these suggestions from Simple Savings contributors to keep your cleaning costs low.

Budget all-purpose cleaner
Barb Halikas
To make a great budget, all-purpose cleaner, pour half a cup of vinegar into a spray bottle, fill the bottle up with cold water and then add about one teaspoon of ammonia and shake the bottle. Use this to clean kitchen bench tops, stoves, windows and bathrooms. It is especially great for dirty saucepans – spray or pour some of the mixture onto the offending scum, then leave for a few minutes. If the scum still sticks, cover it with the mixture and leave it overnight; it then washes off with very little effort.

Heavy-duty cleaner
Margaret Van Emmerik
Four litres hot water, 1/4 cup cloudy ammonia and one teaspoon bicarbonate soda make a great heavy-duty cleaner. Double the ammonia and bicarbonate for a stronger mixture.

Tiles and bathrooms
Edwina Hickey
I have discovered the cheapest solution to keeping our bathrooms clean and banishing nasty smells. Sprinkle bicarbonate liberally over any stains or mould, then simply clean the toilet and floor tiles with a bucket of vinegar and water. You don’t need much vinegar and the bicarbonate will help to lift the stains.

Sparkling windscreens and windows
Jan Ashe
Try this for a sparkling windscreen, headlights and grill: 3 tbsp bicarbonate soda, mixed with one cup of warm water. Wipe on windscreen, leave for a few minutes and wash off. Removes grime, mess and splattered ’hoppers easily!

Where to find out more

For more great cost-saving tips visit Simple Savings.